Gas-lighting device.



T. J. LITLE, Jn. GAS LIGHTING DEVICE.

IPPLHJATION FILED 001220, 1911.

1,047,095, Patenlted Deo.v 10, 1912;

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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T. J. LITLE, JR. GAS LIGHTING DEVICE.

APPLIGATION FILED OCT. 20, 1911.

1,04'1095.l Patented Dec. 10, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WI'I'NESSES INVENTOR Mnz/dma wm." imm@ @grs/ewa CQMMWYQMW 'UNITED STATES4PAT'r'ivr OEEIOE- THOMAS JAMES LITLE, JR., OF WOODBURY NEW lJEEsEY,AssroNon f'rof-wEEsBLCH LIGHT COMPANY, OE GLOUCESTER CITY, NEW JERSEY, ACOnroEA'rI'oN or NEW' JERSEY.

GAS-LIGHTING DEVICE.

- Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Application led October 20, 1911, Serial No. 655,721.

To all 'whom t may concern: v

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. LrrnE, Jr., a resident of Woodbury, in the'county of Gloucesterand State of New Jersey, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Gas-Lighting Devices, lof which the folloW ing'isa full, clear, and exact description, referencejfbeing .had to theaccompanying drawings,form ing part of this specification, in whichFigure l is a side view showing one form of my invention applied to agas lamp of the inverted incandescent type with the gas valve in closedposition; Fig. 2' is a view partly y in elevation and partly in verticalsectiontaken at right angles'to Fig. 1, but showing the gas valve in itsVopened positionylig. 3 is a detail view showing the holder'-"for thepyrophoric alloy abrader; Figt-fis" a side view showing another form ofmy invention applied to a lamp; and Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view ofa portion of the device shown in Fig. 4.' l

My invention has relation to gas-lighting devices adapted fora use inconnection with gas lamps, gas stovesyand, in fact, any type ofgas-burning appliance. My invention relates more particularly to thatclass of gas-,lighting devices which employ a pyrophoric alloy, whichhas the property of emittingver` hotv sparks when scratched by a hard sIbstanoe.

A particular object of my invention is to provide an v4at' ment. of thischaracter which, when ac edgwill first open the gas valve and will thenl:produce the ignitlng sparks, andwhich w-il compel a pause by theoperator between two Operations of snjtlicient lengthto ins e the gasreaching.

the igniter at theitime the sparks are produced. Prior to my invention,it has been proposed to employ a rotary device for effecting phoricalloy and for the opening of the gas cock, but such a device has notproven satisfactory in operation, because the twisting or turningmovement is a very quick one and the sparks are produced before the gasreaches the point of ignition and it is difficult to instruct oraccustom the user to hesitate in the middle of the operating movement.If a simple reciprocating movement be used, the same disadvantage existsand such a device is also open to the objectlon the scratching orabrading of pyrothat there is a sharp, rasping motion of the abraderover thepy'rophoric material which results in jarring the gas fixtureand the frequent breakage of the fragile mantle when thedevice isemployed `in a lighting burner. My invention overcomes these objections'byV providing a device which requires two-separate movements for itsoperation and which will compel a pause on the part of the operatorbetween such movements. The first movement opens the gas valve, whilethe second movement scratches the pyrophoric alloy and produces thespark.

In the accompanying drawinos, I have shown my invention appliedbo aIampofthe inverted incandescent type, but as above indicated, my inventionis not limited' thereto.

In these drawings, the numeral 2 designates the body of the burnerhaving a shadeholding ring 3 and a gas-supply tube 4, which 1s providedwith a controlling valve 5.

6 designates the burner; 7 the mantle; and` 8 the globe or shade.-

9 designates the ignition tube or opening where the spark'vmeets the gasand ignition takes place. l

10 designates a de'lector for deiecti `g the gas upwardly to itsopening.

In Figs. 1 to 3, the-numeral 11 designates the holder for the piece 12of pyrophoric alloy, this holder being shown as secured to the ignitiontube 9. It has a horizontally extendin seat portion 11?, on which theblock 12 1s slidably seated, being pressed toward a serrated orroughened abrading -Wheel 13 by means of a spring 14. The

wheel 13 is secured to the up er l abrading n end of a small shaft 15,which 1s )ourna ed at its upper' portion in the holder 11. 16 isPatented nem-10,1912.'

a sleeve which has a sliding telescoping 4engagement with the shaft 15,and to the lower end of which is hingedly connected the' pg.

tuating rod 17. The hinge connection tween the parts 16 and 17 ispreferably effected by a universal joint 18.- The member 17 preferablyterminates-at its lower end in a suitable button or sleeve 16 has alongitudinal slot 16 toreloeive a pin 16b on the shaft 15, whereby thesleeve will move freely on the rod, but will be 1fixed thereto withrespect to rotary mogel ment. 20 is an actuating connection tween thesleeve 16 and lever arm 21on the stem of the gas valve 5. i,

finger piece 19. 'The The operation is as follows: dien the burner isnot. lighted,l the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1. To lightthe burner, the operator takes hold of the linger piece or button- 19with his fingers .and

'pushes upwardly on the rod 17.A During this movement, the sleeve 16slides upwardly on the rod 15 and the gas valve is opened by themovement ofthe connecting member 20. When the pin 16" reaches the lowerend of the slot 16,further upward movement of the vactuating rod isstopped. The operatorl then gives a turningmovement to the rod 17,causing the toothed or serrated Wheel 13 to exert 'an abrading action onthe pyrophoric alloy, thereby producing a series of hot sparks at theorifice of the ig'- nition tube 9. y

In the construction shown i'nFigs. 4 and 5, the abrading wheel 13a isconnected to a sleeve 30,1rotatably mounted in bearings in a bracket 31,'connected to theignition tube Qa@ Mounted for reciprocal and rotarymovement withinl the sleeve 30 is a rod 39..

Connected-to oneend of this rod f is the valve-actuating connection 20a,.and hingedly connected to the otherend 'thereof is the actuating rod17a.- The'lowerend of the` sleeve is provided with a plurality. ofratchet teeth y33, and 3,4 is' a'pin extending-through the rod 32 whichis arranged'to engage the teeth 33 when the rod is mov-,ed upwardly toopen the gas valve. Theteeth 33 are so shaped that the sleeve 30 and theabrading 'Wheel can only be rotated in one 'direction by saidpin. Theoperation of this deviceis the same as that shownin Figs. 1 to 3, eX-cept that the abradin'g can not be operated by the actuating rod untilthe gas valve has beenmoved. to itsfull open 'positicn by said actuatingrod, and at whichV .time the; pin 34 will engage the teeth 33.

The pause or interval which naturally oc curs on the part of theoperator'between' the end. of the reciprocating valve-opening movementand the commencement of the rotary spark-producing movement is justsufiicient to insure the gas reaching the ignition opening. This pausethe operator is compelled to make'in operatingthe device, andas abovestated, lit is this feature which.

broadly characterizes my"inyent ion. long as this feature is present, itwill be obvious that the details of the actuating mechanism and ofthearrangementof the pyrophoric alloy and of its abrader may be Widelyvaried to suit `the particular character of the burner in connectionwith which the attachment is' employed, without departing from thespirit and scope of my inven tion, as defined in the A appended claims.I claim: 1 1.4 The combination with a gas burner havinga gas supply-v-alve andan-ignition opening, of alighting devicecomprising a sparkproducing` substance, a rotary abrader for said substance. and anactuator conactuator having a movement in one direc tion for opening.the valve and a subsequent movement in a different direction foroperating'the abrader; substantially as described.

' 2. In a gas-lighting device, the combina tion with a supply valve, anignition opening, and a spark-producing substance, of an abrader forsaid substance, and an actuating device connected to theV abrader and tosaid valve, said actuating device having a valve-opening movement in onedirection4 and an abrader-operating movement in a different direction,substantial-ly as described. y

3.` The combination with a gas burner havinga gas-supplyvalve and anignition opening, 'of a lighting device comprising' a, sparlcproducingsubstance, a rotaryabradcr for said substance, and an actuator con-.nected Vto the vabrader and to the valve, said actuator having areciprocating Imovement for opening the valve and a subsequentrosubstant'iall'y as described.

4. A gas-lighting device, comprising .a rotary shaft carryingabradingmeans,l and an actuator having a sliding and'also a rotaryengagement with said shaft and also having a reciprocating.valve-actuating cnn'ef tion, substantially asldesciibed.

5. A gas-lighting device comprisinga ro- :tary abrader, agas valve, anactuator hav- 'afrotary shaft having abrading means, a

sleeve member slidably engaging said'shaft, but fixed thereto withrespect to rotary movement, andan actuator havinga universal jointconnection with the sleeve member, substantially las: described.

8. A gas-lighting attachment comprising `a rotary shaft havingabradingincans, a sleeve member sli lably engaging said shaft,

but`1ixed thereto with respect to 'rotary movement, and an actuatorlconnected tothe sleeve member, the sleeve member alsohaving avalve-actuatingconnection,- substan tially as described. I

-9. A gas lighting attachment, comprising' in combination with la gasvalve. a rotary sleeve member, a rod member slidablv 'ena -nected to theabrader and ,to the valve, said vtarymovement for operating theabrader,`

lao

gaging said sleeve member, and actuating In testimony`whereof, I havehereunto device on he sleeve ald l'lod members larset my hand.

rende to e connecte -W en t e rod las 1 beei moved a predetermineddistance, and THOMAS JAMES LITLL JR an actuating connection between oneofvsaid Witnesses:

members and the gas valve; substantially J. H. JOHNSON,

as described. EDGAR LENTON.

